Air-ship



(No Model.)

E. J. ST. CROIX.

AIR. SHIP. No. 573,549. Patented Dec. 22, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD J. ST. CROIX, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

AIR-SHIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,549, dated December 22, 1896. Application filed S t b r 11, 1896. Serial No. 605,514. (lIo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. ST. CROIX,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air-Ships, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in air-ships which comprise an inflated bag and a car attached thereto; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide accessories whereby the bag of the air-ship may be inflated at a pressure and the pressure maintained during transit; second, to provide means whereby the air-ship is propelled, said means also adapted to operate mechanism provided for the compression of the fluid employed in the inflation of the bag, and, third, to provide means for the adoption of a high and low pressure fluid employed in the inflation. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a perspective view of the entire air-ship, with a portion of the pendent basket broken away, disclosing the interior arrangement of propelling mechanism.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

Referring to the view on the accompanying drawing, A indicates a bag composed of any desired material impervious to air, and is inelosed by anettingB, adapted to strengthen the bag in resisting internal pressure and for the attachment of guy-ropes 12, adapted for the suspension of a basket 0. The basket 0 is in form like that of any ordinary ship adapted for water navigation, but of much lighter construction, and is supplied with steering apparatus comprising a pivotallyconnected rudder D, having a tiller cl, and with propelling mechanism comprising bow, stern, starboard, and port propellers E, attached at the outer ends of shafts e, e, and 6 which are connected to a bevel gear-wheel F by bevel-pinionsf, having engagement therewith. Any suitable motive power (as a vapor-engine G) may be employed to operate the propeller-shafts e, e, and c being connected therewith by gears g and g.

Upon the shaft 6 is provided a-wheel or pulley 1, having belt connections with the operating-wheel 2 of a fluid-compressor H, which is also provided with a handle 71, adapting it for operation by hand. This fluid-compressor has connection with the storage-tanks I and I through the supplyeonduits t' and i and with the bagA through said conduits and tanks and the flexible conduit 2' and with the distributing-chamber 2' through the branch conduit 1' connecting therewith.

Connecting with the distributing-chamber 2' are the auxiliary bags A, composed of material impervious to air and adapted for high internal pressure and provided with guy-rods 10, attached to steadier-rings 11, encircling said bags and adapted to hold same in position and to keep them from swaying.

The bag A, I have termed the low-pressure and A the high-pressure bags, and to provide for the inflation thereof at the diferent pressures I have introduced valves 20 and 21 intermediate the fluid-compressor II and the aforesaid bags.

The fluid-compressor II is provided with a port It, adapted to connect with any source of fluid-supply, and when said compressor is operated, either by hand or power, the product of compression produces an equal pressure in all the fluid-receiving portions of the ship. This pressure is indicated by the gages to, 'y, and z, and when the requisite pressure for the low-pressure bag A is indicated the valve 20 is closed and the pressure in the auxiliary or high-pressure bags A is increased until the gage registers the pressure desired, when the valve 21 is closed, and the storagetanks I and I are then employed to receive additional pressure until a full charge is re istered by the gage y, when the operation of the compressor is stopped.

If desirable to increase the pressure in either the bag A or bags A, the valve 20 or 21 is manipulated in admitting compressed fluid from the storage-tanks, and if desirable to decrease the pressure the outlet-valves 22 are manipulated to expel the requisite amount of fluid. Thus the desired pressure may be maintained at all times.

At some point convenient on each of the compartments, adapted for a different pressure of fluid, I have provided safety-valves 23, adapted to discharge the excess fluid above the pressure at which they may be set in case the compartment becomes overcharged.

The blades of each of the propellers E are set at the proper angle to perform the functions of propelling the boat either forward or backward, according to the direction of rotation of the shafts thereof, the'bow-propeller being pitched to draw and the stern-propeller to push the boat when the shafts are operated for a forward movement of the boat, and the side propellers are adapted to operate similar to a side wheel of any ordinary boat.

I do not limit myself asto the fluid employed in inflating the several bags of my air-ship, as air or gas in various forms might be used.

I am aware that prior to my invention airships have been devised. I therefore do not claim such an invention, broadly; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In airships; the combination of a mainbag, with netting thereover, a basket or car suspended therefrom, a distributing-chamber around said car, with auxiliary bags connecting therewith, a fluid-compressor and storagetanks therein and conduits connecting said tanks with said chamber and main bag and with said compressor, substantially as shown and described.

' EDXVARD J. ST. OROIX.

\Vitnesses:

ORVILLE A. TUCKER, KARL I. FAUST. 

